Long standing independent Preston shop closes down

A fondly remembered and popular shop on Friargate in Preston shuts its doors for the last time.

The owner of Orbit Boutique, opened in1972, has decided to call it a day and sell-up.

The shop predominately sold stylish women’s clothes, velvet, lace jewellery and new world gifts. The kind of place where you would find incense sticks, crystals, tarot cards and a wonderful array of quirky objects from around the world. Orbit weathered the poor economic conditions over the past few decades a lot better than much larger high-street businesses but everything comes to an end.

The business opened at at time when Friargate was a thriving, busy shopping area full of independents. However, the owner told me that her part of Frairagte had become dominated by hairdressers and takeaways and trade had died away. The top end of the street was becoming more and more a student village servicing the nearby university. In fact, latest news is a huge new development of student apartments to be built only a few buildings down from her shop.

She said she felt the heart had gone out her area of Friagate and she had decided to sell up. That surprised me. When I saw the closing down signs I assumed she was just relocating. It is the cost of refurbishment as well. The shop is still making money but the bill for a facelift is just too much.

Since the ‘closing’ signs went up business has been brisk. I said she should have had a closing down sale everyday!

Many Prestonians will have fond memories of the shop having visited in their youth. There wasn’t really anything else like it in town. I mentioned this to the owner and other kind comments people have made about the shop and she was pleased and very grateful for everybody’s custom.

Did you used to shop at Orbit? What do you think of the loss of independent shops in Preston? Let us know in the comments below